Members Login

Log in using

Not a Member Yet?

Why Join?

When you create an account with us, you'll be able to save your favourite books, make a wishlist of upcoming titles, receive newsletters about books you'll love, get recommendations tailored to you and order our books directly. Join us by creating an account and start getting the best experience from our website!

More information

More information

The Beatles Lyrics

The Unseen Story Behind Their Music

By Hunter Davies and Beatles

Hardback

£25.00

The first-ever collection of the original handwritten Beatles' lyrics.

The first-ever collection of the original handwritten Beatles' lyrics.

Never before has anyone attempted to track down and publish the original versions of the classic songs, many of which have never yet been published. These documents have ended up in the hands of collectors and friends of the Beatles, scattered across the world at museums and universities.

Hunter Davies knew and worked with the Beatles during their heyday, and wrote their first and only authorized biography. In this collection, he has tracked down and reproduced over 100 original handwritten manuscripts of their songs, reproduced here - and, in almost every case, for the very first time.

For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime and anywhere - songs might begin as a scribble on the back of an envelope, a napkin or on hotel stationery. From them we gain a unique insight into the remarkable creative process of the greatest songwriters of all time; what they were thinking, how they changed their minds, and then came up with the words which are now known the world over - complete with all the scribbles and crossings out.

Each song is given its context: what the Beatles were doing at the time, how and when they came to write and record it, how the original version differs from the final one. Almost every Beatles song has a great story behind it, whether it is 'Yesterday', 'Eleanor Rigby' or 'Yellow Submarine'.

Many books have appeared about the Beatles, but in the end what really matters - and will always matter most - is their music. Their music comes out of their lives, just as their lives and emotions are reflected in their music. The Beatles Lyrics is the definitive story of their lives, as uniquely told through their music.

Biographical Notes

Hunter Davies is the author of the only authorized biography of the Beatles and the editor of The John Lennon Letters. He lives in London.

Other details

ISBN:
9780297608127

Publication date:
25 Sep 2014

Page count:
384

Imprint:
W&N

[Davies] has managed to track down handwritten versions for 100 of the band's 182 lyrics, and it's undeniably fascinating to observe these scribbled seeds, particularly when they contain alterations, crossings-out and abandoned verses... The other main attraction of the book is Davies' unrivalled access to the group. As the only authorised Beatles biographer during the band's existence, he spent time observing Lennon and McCartney as they wrote songs, and his vivid account of the pair holding court amongst friends in the latter's music room... is just one of several fascinating behind-the-scenes moments — Andy Gill, THE INDEPENDENT

Painstakingly researched and skilfully laid out over 350 engrossing pages, Davies gives us an incredible insight into the remarkable creative process of the band, and tells the story of the Beatles' lives through their work — Colm O'Regan, HOT PRESS

Davies has tracked down and reproduced more than 100 of the Beatles' original handwritten manuscripts for their songs, nearly all of which are reproduced for the first time in this handsome coffee-table tome. Each song is given its context: what the band were doing at the time, how and when they came to write and record it, how the original version differs from the final one. A pretty essential addition to the library/bathroom of any serious Beatles fan — IRISH NEWS

This is not just one for the Beatlemaniacs and it is liberally illustrated with lyrics as they were originally written on table napkins, notepads, or on the back of a birthday card — RTE GUIDE

What's amazing is that these songs were so often scribbled down on whatever bits of paper were at hand - pages from notebooks, hotel stationery, backs of envelopes - and it's fascinating to see them with their hasty revisions, crossings out, lines being rewritten, ideas rethought even before they are fully complete, almost as if The Beatles can't keep up with their own creative momentum, colourful doodles and stoned illustrations accompanying some of them — Allan Jones, UNCUT

They were just scraps of paper set for a cleaner's furnace - but now The Beatles' lyric sheets are precious jewels that reveal the secret history of the world's greatest band... beneath the scrawls and corssings-out lies a shadow history of The Beatles — LIVERPOOL ECHO

A forensic song-by-song exploration of the band's writing process... If you're a songwriter, the song manuscripts along are fascinating, and if you're a Beatles fan, the info here can't help but give you a fresh insight into their music — GUITARIST

No Lennon/McCartney obsessive should be without Hunter Davies' The Beatles Lyrics — Olivia Cole, GQ Magazine

Fascinating facsimiles of scribbled lyric notes jotted onto scraps of paper... afford insights into the development from the germ of an idea to a finished song — THE INDEPENDENT 'Books of the Year'

He wrote the first comprehensive biography of The Beatles and now, in The Beatles Lyrics, Hunter Davies returns to examine each of the band's songs in forensic details, offering insights into the creative process and putting the songs in their social and personal context — CHOICE

A fascinating look at how these classics came into being as the manuscripts show how lines were altered and whole verses dumped — THE SUN

This delightful book will appeal to the millions of Beatles fans around the world who will surely enjoy reliving these iconic songs and learning something of their history — SIXTYPLUSSURFERS

Even fans who think they know it all already will treasure this forensic exploration of the Beatles' songs...a handsome coffee-table book by Hunter Davies that manages to shed new light on the creative process behind such songs as Eleanor Rigby, Across the Universe and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds...a treasure of a book, a forensic, song-by-song exploration of the band's creative process — Paul Howard, THE IRISH TIMES

You may never read a more comprehensive, unpretentious account of the creative processes behind a band's body of lyrics. It seems fitting that band should be The Beatles... The book runs chronologically from A to Z through every self-penned song the Beatles recorded in their eight action-packed years together. With all those original handwritten manuscripts, it's a must buy for die-hard Beatles fans and, no doubt, many calligraphers too — Joe Dermody, IRISH EXAMINER

Trapeze

Hangman

Daniel Cole

Authors:

Daniel Cole

The new thriller from the bestselling author of RagdollA detective with no one to trustA killer with nothing to lose18 months after the 'Ragdoll' murders, a body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge, the word 'BAIT' carved into the chest. In London a copycat killer strikes, branded with the word 'PUPPET', forcing DCI Emily Baxter into an uneasy partnership with the detectives on the case, Special Agents Rouche and Curtis.Each time they trace a suspect, the killer is one step ahead. With the body count rising on both sides of the Atlantic, can they learn to trust each other and identify who is holding the strings before it is too late?

The Year that Changed Everything

Cathy Kelly

Music Across the Mersey

Geraldine O'Neill

Authors:

Geraldine O'Neill

When a Dublin family is torn apart, can a new start in Liverpool help heal the wounds? 1940s DublinHandsome widower Johnny Cassidy is out of work and lost as to how to look after his four children. Broken-hearted, he's tempted to look for the answer at the bottom of a beer glass, and it takes another calamity for him to realise help sometimes comes from the strangest places.With Johnny's family over the sea in Liverpool, it's his wife's spinster cousin who comes to the rescue. Nora's well-ordered life is turned upside down by this brood of children to keep fed, schooled and out of trouble. But underneath the bustle of daily life, they all cherish secret dreams, some of which threaten to tear the family apart.With Nora around, Ella Cassidy can be a teenager again, rather than trying to raise her younger siblings, while her older brother, Sean, finds that music might be his salvation. But when he takes to the stage, it's the start of a journey that will take him far from home, and right to the kind of trouble he thought he'd outran.A warm and inviting story of family and friendship, duty and desire, perfect for fans of Maureen Lee and Lyn Andrews.Read by Caroline Lennon(p) Soundings 2017

Like a Bat Out of Hell

Mick Wall

Purity of Blood

Arturo Perez-Reverte

Authors:

Arturo Perez-Reverte

The second 'Captain Alatriste' novel, from a series which has sold 4 million copies worldwideA woman has been found in a sedan chair in front of a church, strangled. In her hand is a pouch containing fifty escudos and a handwritten - but unsigned - note bearing the words 'For masses for her soul'. The chief constable Martin Saldana confides in his old friend and comrade in arms, Diego Alatriste. Still in danger from the powerful enemies he made in his first adventure, Captain Alatriste is considering returning to Flanders where the war has just resumed. But first, his old friend Quevedo asks him for a favour. The daughter of one of his friends must be rescued from a convent, which certain 'priests' seem to be treating as little more than a harem. Then the woman who brought the girl to the convent goes missing and the connection is made to the murder at the church. It seems that Alatriste's sword is required once more.

The Stolen Child

Lisa Carey

Secrets of a Happy Marriage

Cathy Kelly

Superstar Cats

Julie Tottman

Authors:

Julie Tottman

*****THE PERFECT STOCKING FILLER FOR CAT LOVERS THIS CHRISTMAS*****Your pets can rival movie stars with these easy tricks from the trainer behind the Harry Potter movies, Julie Tottman.Whether your cat is clever, cheeky, kooky or cuddly, this perfect gift for cat lovers everywhere reveals easy tricks to make them the envy of their friends.Trick-training is a simple and fun way to bond with your cat whilst keeping him or her stimulated and active, and there is no one better placed to show you how to do it than Julie. Over the last twenty years, Julie has been the animal trainer behind a whole host of major Hollywood blockbusters - from the Harry Potter franchise to Lassie, The Dark Knight, 102 Dalmations and, most recently, Game of Thrones. By breaking each trick down into easy step-by-step instructions, Julie shows you how to teach your pet a wide range of easy and fun tricks, catering for all shapes, sizes - and attention spans!Alongside lots of helpful tips and advice, you'll also find fun black and white illustrations and space to jot down when your pet has successfully performed each trick, meaning they'll be rivalling movie stars in no time.

Superstar Dogs

Julie Tottman

Authors:

Julie Tottman

*****THE PERFECT STOCKING FILLER FOR DOG LOVERS THIS CHRISTMAS*****Your pets can rival movie stars with these easy tricks from the trainer behind Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, Julie Tottman. Whether your dog is clever, cheeky, kooky or cuddly, this perfect gift for dog lovers everywhere reveals easy tricks to make them the envy of their friends. Trick-training is a simple and fun way to bond with your dog whilst keeping them stimulated and active, and there is no one better placed to show you how to do it than Julie. Over the last twenty years, Julie has been the animal trainer behind a whole host of major Hollywood blockbusters - from the Harry Potter franchise to Lassie, The Dark Knight, 102 Dalmations and, most recently, Game of Thrones. By breaking each trick down into easy step-by-step instructions, Julie shows you how to teach your pet a wide range of easy and fun tricks, catering for all shapes, sizes - and attention spans! Alongside lots of helpful tips and advice, you'll also find fun black and white illustrations and space to jot down when your pet has successfully performed each trick, meaning they'll be rivalling movie stars in no time.

Some Fantastic Place

Chris Difford

Authors:

Chris Difford

Chris Difford is a rare breed. As a member of one of London's best-loved bands, the Squeeze co-founder has made a lasting contribution to English music with hits such as 'Cool For Cats', 'Up The Junction', 'Labelled With Love', 'Hourglass' and 'Tempted'. Even before his first release in 1977, his love of writing lyrics has never wavered. Over the course of a thirteen-album career with Squeeze, it was clear from the very beginning that Difford has few peers when it comes to smart, pithy lyricism. His 'kitchen-sink drama' style has drawn plaudits from fans on both sides of the Atlantic, and his influence is keenly felt today. The likes of Lily Allen. Mark Ronson, Kasabian, Razorlight and many more have recognized the debt they owe to Squeeze's music and to Difford's way with words, while journalists were moved by his winning combination with Glenn Tilbrook to dub the pair 'The New Lennon and McCartney'.In Some Fantastic Place, Chris Difford charts his life from his early days as a dreaming boy in south London with a talent for poetry to becoming a member of one of Britain's greatest bands and beyond. Along the way he reveals the inspiration and stories behind Squeeze's best-known songs, and his greatest highs and lows from over four decades of making music.

Being Elvis

Ray Connolly

Authors:

Ray Connolly

What was it like to be Elvis Presley? What did it feel like when impossible fame made him its prisoner? As the world's first rock star there was no one to tell him what to expect, no one with whom he could share the burden of being himself - of being Elvis.On the outside he was all charm, sex appeal, outrageously confident on stage and stunningly gifted in the recording studio. To his fans he seemed to have it all. He was Elvis. With his voice and style influencing succeeding generations of musicians, he should have been free to sing any song he liked, to star in any film he was offered, and to tour in any country he chose. But he wasn't free. The circumstances of his poor beginnings in the American South, which, as he blended gospel music with black rhythm and blues and white country songs, helped him create rock and roll, had left him with a lifelong vulnerability. Made rich and famous beyond his wildest imaginings when he mortgaged his talent to the machinations of his manager, 'Colonel' Tom Parker, there would be an inevitable price to pay. Though he daydreamed of becoming a serious film actor, instead he grew to despise his own movies and many of the songs he had to sing in them. He could have rebelled. But he didn't. Why? In the Seventies, as the hits rolled in again, and millions of fans saw him in a second career as he sang his way across America, he talked of wanting to tour the world. But he never did. What was stopping him?BEING ELVIS takes a clear-eyed look at the most-loved entertainer ever, and finds an unusual boy with a dazzling talent who grew up to change popular culture; a man who sold a billion records and had more hits than any other singer, but who became trapped by his own frailties in the loneliness of fame.

Being Elvis

Ray Connolly

Authors:

Ray Connolly

What was it like to be Elvis Presley? What did it feel like when impossible fame made him its prisoner? As the world's first rock star there was no one to tell him what to expect, no one with whom he could share the burden of being himself - of being Elvis.On the outside he was all charm, sex appeal, outrageously confident on stage and stunningly gifted in the recording studio. To his fans he seemed to have it all. He was Elvis. With his voice and style influencing succeeding generations of musicians, he should have been free to sing any song he liked, to star in any film he was offered, and to tour in any country he chose. But he wasn't free. The circumstances of his poor beginnings in the American South, which, as he blended gospel music with black rhythm and blues and white country songs, helped him create rock and roll, had left him with a lifelong vulnerability. Made rich and famous beyond his wildest imaginings when he mortgaged his talent to the machinations of his manager, 'Colonel' Tom Parker, there would be an inevitable price to pay. Though he daydreamed of becoming a serious film actor, instead he grew to despise his own movies and many of the songs he had to sing in them. He could have rebelled. But he didn't. Why? In the Seventies, as the hits rolled in again, and millions of fans saw him in a second career as he sang his way across America, he talked of wanting to tour the world. But he never did. What was stopping him?BEING ELVIS takes a clear-eyed look at the most-loved entertainer ever, and finds an unusual boy with a dazzling talent who grew up to change popular culture; a man who sold a billion records and had more hits than any other singer, but who became trapped by his own frailties in the loneliness of fame.

Three By Laumer

Keith Laumer

Authors:

Keith Laumer

Enter the worlds of Keith Laumer. From the adventures of self-aware superheavy battle tanks to the intricacies of galactic diplomacy via the clash of parallel worlds, Laumer's imagination knew few bounds.In Worlds of the Imperium, an American diplomat finds himself kidnapped by agents of the British Empire, which rules over a parallel world.James Retief travels the stars, resolving conflicts and avoiding cultural clashes, while battling the endless bureaucracy of the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne in Retief: Envoy to New Worlds.In Bolo, Laumer explores what happens when mankind's most advanced weapons of war become self aware. These are the opening volumes to three classic series, collected in one exciting, thrill-a-minute omnibus.

Modern Calligraphy

Lucy Edmonds

Authors:

Lucy Edmonds

Beautifully illustrated with a covetable rose gold foil cover, Modern Calligraphy is a step-by-step workbook for those wanting to learn this super trendy form of lettering.Written by Lucy Edmonds, the founder of Quill London, the book will guide readers through the first steps of pointed pen calligraphy, encouraging you to spend an hour a week developing and practicing the new skill. Designed for complete beginners, the book offers tips, tricks and techniques on the materials required and how to use them properly, how to approach the modern calligraphy letterforms, and most importantly explores ways to develop our own modern calligraphy style. You'll learn about inks and how to make your own, brush calligraphy, and what you can do with your new skill - from envelope addressing and event stationery to beautiful dinner party menus and gift tags.

Inside Out

Nick Mason

Prince

Mick Wall

Authors:

Mick Wall

Prince was an icon. A man who defined an era of music and changed the shape of popular culture forever. There is no doubt that he was one of the most talented and influential artists of all time, and also one of the most mysterious. On 21st April 2016 the world lost its Prince; it was the day the music died.This book will open a door to Prince's world like never before - from his traumatic childhood and demonic pursuit of music as a means of escape, to his rise to superstardom, professional rivalries and marriages shrouded in tragedy, internationally bestselling music writer Mick Wall explores the historical, cultural and personal backdrop that gave rise to an artist the likes of which the world has never seen - and never will again.Mick, a lifelong Prince fan, was one of the first UK journalists to ever write about this enigmatic star, and it was his story that put Prince on the cover of Kerrang magazine in 1984 and inspired the biggest mailbag of letters the magazine has ever had. As Prince sang in '7', 'no one in the whole universe will ever compare', and this book is a shining tribute to the forever incomparable Prince.

Edith & Oliver

Michèle Forbes

Authors:

Michèle Forbes

A SUNDAY TIMES MUST READ: 'A tender and vivid novel about a failing marriage set in the milieu of the Edwardian music hall'Edith was born into a different world. But her rebellious nature brought her to the seedy glamour of the music hall, where she plays the piano by night. Oliver is an illusionist. And he is a man of ambition. He wants to tour the world, to pioneer ground-breaking illusions. History and fate have other ideas. When Edith and Oliver meet they fall headlong in love. But their children arrive as the world begins to change, as cinemas crowd the high street and the draw of the music hall wanes. What follows is a struggle: against the trials of marriage, against the march of time, and against Oliver's flaws - flaws that may cost them everything.'A writer who is not afraid to address the so-called ordinary lives of real human beings' John Banville on Michèle Forbes

Paul McCartney

Philip Norman

Authors:

Philip Norman

The first biography written with Paul McCartney's approval and with access to family members and friends closest to him.Superbly evoking half a century of popular music and culture, Paul McCartney is the definitive life of a long-misunderstood genius.In this masterly biography, history's most successful songwriter, a man of seemingly effortless talent, beauty and charm, is revealed as a complex, insecure workaholic who still feels as great a need to prove himself in his seventies as when he was a teenager.We learn how his boyhood was blighted by the death of his mother, Mary - later the inspiration for 'Let It Be' - but redeemed by his remarkable father, Jim, a Liverpool cotton-salesman who was his only music-teacher and whose influence has permeated his career.We understand as never before the creative symbiosis between John Lennon and himself that unlocked the extraordinary treasury of their songs for the Beatles when they were barely into their twenties, and the fierce rivalry which lasted beyond the band's break-up to the end of John's life - and still haunts and inspires Paul to this day.Here for the first time is the full story of Paul post-Beatles: his trauma after being brutally sidelined by John, George and Ringo over the appointment of their last manager, Allen Klein; his near-breakdown on his remote Scottish farm and dogged determination to build a new band, Wings, into as big a name in the 1970s as the Beatles had been in the 1960s.Here too is the first inside story of his marriage to Linda Eastman, much criticised at the outset but destined to become the longest and strongest in rock until her death from cancer. Here are the traumatic post-Linda years when his charmed life seemed temporarily to crack up: his whirlwind romance with Heather Mills ending after four years' marriage in one of the most expensive and rancorous divorces in British legal history. As richly fascinating and dramatic as its subject, Paul McCartney: The Biography is the last word on a man whose music has lit up the world.

Lemmy

Mick Wall

Heyday

Ben Wilson

Authors:

Ben Wilson

HEYDAY brings to life one of the most extraordinary periods in modern history. Over the course of the 1850s, the world was reshaped by technology, trade, mass migration and war. The global economy expanded fivefold, millions of families emigrated to the ends of the earth to carve out new lives, technology revolutionised communications, while steamships and railways cut across vast continents and oceans, shrinking the world and creating the first global age.It was a decade of breathtaking transformation, with striking parallels for our own times. The 1850s saw the laying of the first undersea cable in 1851, the rush for gold from California to Australia, while fleets of pirate vessels docked in Hong Kong harbour, eager to take advantage of booming trade. The West's insatiable hunger for land, natural resources and new markets encouraged free trade, bold exploration and colonisation as never before. In a fast-paced, kaleidoscopic narrative, the acclaimed historian Ben Wilson recreates this time of explosive energy and dizzying change, a rollercoaster ride of booms and bust, focusing on the lives of the men and women reshaping its frontiers. At the centre stands Great Britain. The country was the peak of its power as it attempted to determine the destinies of hundreds of millions of people.A dazzling history of a tumultuous decade, HEYDAY reclaims an often overlooked decade that was fundamental not only in in the making of Britain but of the modern world.